Pill dispenser

ABSTRACT

A single-piece multicompartment dispensing container is disclosed which is characterized by a plurality of compartments, a plurality of dispensing flaps in a front wall or panel providing individual access to each compartment for dispensing, and a full opening rear panel providing simultaneous access to all compartments for filling. The device is constructed so that it can be molded as a single piece from a material such as polyethylene or polypropylene and is especially useful as a pilldispensing device.

United States Patent [191 Ankney, deceased Apr. 30, 1974 PILL DISPENSER Inventor: Robert W. Ankney, deceased, late of Walton Hills, Ohio by Margaret G.

Ankney, executrix [73] Assignee: Weatherchem Corporation,

Twinsburg, Ohio [22] Filed: Aug. 14, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 280,651

[52] U.S. Cl. 206/42, 220/27, 220/31 S [51] Int. Cl... B65d 43/16, B65d 83/04, B65d 85/56 [58] Field of Search 206/42, 56 AC; 220/31 S, 220/27; 229/17 B, 27; 312/31, 35; 221/281 [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 1,624,883 4/1927 Allen 221/281 3,712,695 l/l973 Kaye 312/31 3,579,883 5/1971 Hayes 220/31 S 1,110,693 9/1914 Jennings 221/281 2,005,924 6/1935 Wilson 229/17 B 3,157,344 1l/l964 Hennessey.... 229/27 3,703,955 11/1972 Inacker 220/27 Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-McNenny, Farrington, Pearne & Gordon [5 7] ABSTRACT A single-piece multicompartment dispensing container is disclosed which is characterized by a plurality of compartments, a plurality of dispensing flaps in a front wall or panel providing individual access to each compartment for dispensing, and a full opening rear panel providing simultaneous access to all compartments for filling. The device is constructed so that it can be molded as a single piece from a material such as poly- I ethylene or polypropylene and is especially useful as a pill-dispensing device.

' 5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PILL DISPENSER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Multicompartment dispensing containers may be conveniently used for storing, merchandising, and dispensing various commodities such as pills or other medicaments, spices, condiments, or other suitable commodities.

Prior art multicompartment containers include those disclosed in US. Letters Patent Nos. 3,382,969 and 3,552,595. Many of the prior art devices are molded from a plurality of pieces or, if molded from a single piece, involve extensive molding or casting in order to achieve the desired result. Furthermore, such prior art devices may not permit simultaneous charging of all compartments and individual discharging from selected compartments.

The present invention is characterized by a simple more economical structure moldable as a one-piece item and adaptable as molded for simultaneously charging a plurality of compartments and selectively dispensing from each individual compartment. The invention accomplishes this by providing a device which is characterized by a peripheral or marginal wall of rectangular configuration having four front facing marginal edges and four rear facing marginal edges. A front panel covers the front of the opening defined by the marginal wall and is integral with the marginal wall along the four front facing marginal edges. The front panel is provided with a plurality of dispensing flaps defined by portions of reduced thickness adjacent one of the front marginal edges. A rear charging panel covers the rear of the opening defined by the marginal wall. The rear charging panel iscontinuously integral with one of the rear facing marginal edges and is molded in the opened position to permit charging. The juncture of the rear charging panel with the marginal wall is of thinner cross section whereby the rear panel is hingedly secured to the marginal wall to permit closing thereof.

There is also provided a plurality of parallel partition members extending between and integral with the marginal wall at opposite sides thereof and integral with the front panel along the edges of the partition members which are in confronting relation with the front panel, thereby defining a plurality of compartments with the front and rear panels and with the marginal walls. The dispensing flaps in the front panel provide individual selective access to each of the compartments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention may be better understood by having reference to the presently preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the annexed drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the containerwith the charging flap and the dispensing flaps closed, and with the charging flap shown in phantom in the opened positron;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the container shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the container shown in FIG. I, but with the charging flap opened;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the container shown in FIG. I but with the charging flap opened;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along reference view line 5-5 of FIG. 2, but with the dispensing flap opened; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along reference view line 66 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a one-piece molded container in accordance with the present invention. The materials from which this device is most conveniently formed are polyethylene or polypropylene. The device is characterized by a peripheral or marginal wall 10 defining a rectangular opening. The marginal wall 10 has four front facing edges 11, 12, 13, and 14 (FIG. I) and four rear facing edges l5, 16, 17, and 18 (FIG. 4).

A front panel 22 covers the front of the opening defined by the marginal wall 10 and is integral therewith along the front facing edges 11, 12, 13, and 14.-

There is also provided a charging flap or rear panel 28 which is dimensioned to cover the rear of the opening defined by the marginal wall 10 and which is continuously integral with the marginal wall 10 along the rear facing marginal edge 16. The juncture 30 of the rear panel 28 with the marginal wall 10 is of thinner crosssection than the rear panel 28, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, whereby the rear panel 28 is hingedly secured to the marginal wall 10.

The container as shown in the annexed drawings also includes a plurality of parallel partitions 32 extending between and integral with the marginal wall 10 at opposite sides thereof, and integral with the front panel 22 along the edge of each partition 32 which confronts the front panel '22. When the rear panel 28 is closed, the rear panel 28 fits inside the rear facing marginal edges l5, l7 and I8. The partition members 32 then define with the front and rear panels 22 and 28 and with the marginal wall 10 a plurality ofindividual isolated compartments, and the closed rear panel 28 provides a common wall for all of the individual compartments.

As best shown in FIG. 5, the front panel 22 is also provided with a plurality of rectangular dispensing flaps 42 disposed along the edge of the front panel 22 which is adjacent the front facing marginal edge 14. The ,dispensing flaps 42 are molded integrally with the front panel 22 and are defined by reduced thickness side portions 43 (FIG. 6), top portions 44 (FIG. 5), and rearward portions 45 (FIG. 5). In this manner, the flaps 42 as molded provide leak-proof closures for the individual. compartments prior to dispensing. When the contents of any one compartment are to be dispensed, the flaps 42 associated with such compartment is opened as shown in FIG. 5 by lifting the flap 42 and rotating it about the reduced thickness top portion 44 toward the front facing marginal edge 12 to break the reduced thickness side portions 43 and rear portion 45.

After each dispensing flap 42 has once been opened,

the elastic memory of its reduced thickness connection 5 able beveled lip on the front facing marginal edge 14,

to retain each dispensing flap 42 in its closed position.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the rear panel 28 is also provided with'a beveled edge 50 which, with a force sufficient to overcome the elasticity of the plastic from which the device is made, may be snapped into position behind a suitable beveled lip 52. In this manner, the rear panel 28, which is biased to the opened position by the elastic memory of the hinged connection 30 due to being molded in the opened position for charging purposes, is positively mechanically locked in its closed position after the container has been filled.

The device is molded as a single piece with the charging flap or rear panel 28 in the opened position as shown in FIG. 3 and with the dispensing flaps 42 in the closed position, as described above. The molded open individual compartments, which are defined by the marginal wall 10. and the partitions 32 and the front wall 22, are manually or automatically filled with the desired material, which may be pills or other medicaments, spices, 'condiments,'or other suitable material. The rear panel 28 is then closed and frictionally retained in position by the lip 52. Thereafter, the individual dispensing flaps 42 maybe selectively individually opened whereby the material contained in each associated compartment may be selectively removed.

Wh'at is claimed is:

l. A single-piece multicompartment dispensing container comprising:

a a marginal wall defining an opening of rectangular configuration having parallel front and rear marginal edges;

b. a front panel covering one end of said opening and being integral with said front marginal edges;

0. a rear panel dimensioned to cover the other end of said opening being continuously integral with said marginal wall along one of said rear marginal edges, the juncture of said rear panel with said marginal wall being of thinner section whereby said rear panel is hingedly secured to said marginal wall for rotational movementbetween an opened position and a closed position;

. a plurality of parallel partition members extending between and integral with said marginal wall at opposite sides thereof and integral with said front panel along the partition edge confronting said front panel and defining a plurality of compartments with said front and rear panels and said marginal wall;

. a plurality of rectangular flaps in said front panel disposed along one of said front marginal edges and openable by rotating said individual flaps whereby the interior of each suchcompartment is individually exposed;

f. and said rear panel providing a common wall for all of said compartments and simultaneously exposing the interior of all of said compartments when said rear panel is in said opened position.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flaps are defined by portions of reduced thickness in said front panel.

3. A dispensing container in accordance with claim 1 including'means integral with said container for releasably retaining said rear panel in said closed position, and said rear panel retaining means includes:

1. a beveled edge on said rear panel;

2. a complementarily beveled lip on the confronting rear marginal edge of said marginal wall for overlapping and retaining the beveled edge of said panel.

4. A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flaps are defined by portions of reduced thickness in said front panel whereby said flaps are molded in a closed position, and said rear panel is integral with said marginal wall solely along said one of said rear marginal edges whereby said rear panel is molded in said opened position. I

5; A single-piece multicompartment dispensing container comprising:

a. a marginalwall defining an opening having parallel front and rear marginal edges;

b. a front panel covering one end of said opening and being integral with said front marginal edges;

c. a rear panel dimensioned to cover the other end of 'said opening and being hingedly secured to said marginal wall for rotational movement between an opened position and a closed position;

d. a plurality of partition members integral with said marginal wall and integral with said front panel along the partition edge confronting said front panel and defining a plurality of compartments with said front and rear panels and said marginal wall;

e. a plurality of rectangular flaps in said front panel disposed along one of said front marginal edges and openable by rotating said individual flaps whereby the interior of each such compartment is individually exposed, said flaps being defined by portions of reduced thickness in said front panel whereby said flaps are molded in a closed position;

f. and said rear panel being molded in said opened position and providing a common wall for all of said compartments and simultaneously exposing the interior of all of said compartments when said rear panel is in said opened position. 

1. A single-piece multicompartment dispensing container comprising: a. a marginal wall defining an opening of rectangular configuration having parallel front and rear marginal edges; b. a front panel covering one end of said opening and being integral with said front marginal edges; c. a rear panel dimensioned to cover the other end of said opening being continuously integral with said marginal wall along one of said rear marginal edges, the juncture of said rear panel with said marginal wall being of thinner section whereby said rear panel is hingedly secured to said marginal wall for rotational movement between an opened position and a closed position; d. a plurality of parallel partition members extending between and integral with said marginal wall at opposite sides thereof and integral with said front panel along the partition edge confronting said front panel and defining a plurality of compartments with said front and rear panels and said marginal wall; e. a plurality of rectangular flaps in said front panel disposed along one of said front marginal edges and openable by rotating said individual flaps whereby the interior of each such compartment is individually exposed; f. and said rear panel providing a common wall for all of said compartments and simultaneously exposing the interior of all of said compartments when said rear panel is in said opened position.
 2. A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flaps are defined by portions of reduced thickness in said front panel.
 2. a complementarily beveled lip on the confronting rear marginal edge of said marginal wall for overlapping and retaining the beveled edge of said panel.
 3. A dispensing container in accordance with claim 1 including means integral with said container for releasably retaining said rear panel in said closed position, and said rear panel retaining means includes:
 4. A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flaps are defined by portions of reduced thickness in said front panel whereby said flaps are molded in a closed position, and said rear panel is integral with said marginal wall solely along said one of said rear marginal edges whereby said rear panel is molded in said opened position.
 5. A single-piece multicompartment dispensing container comprising: a. a marginal wall defining an opening having parallel front and rear marginal edges; b. a front panel covering one end of said opening and being integral with said front marginal edges; c. a rear panel dimensioned to cover the other end of said opening and being hingedly secured to said marginal wall for rotational movement between an opened position and a closed position; d. a plurality of partition members integral with said marginal wall and integral with said front panel along the partition edge confronting said front panel and defining a plurality of compartments with said front and rear paneLs and said marginal wall; e. a plurality of rectangular flaps in said front panel disposed along one of said front marginal edges and openable by rotating said individual flaps whereby the interior of each such compartment is individually exposed, said flaps being defined by portions of reduced thickness in said front panel whereby said flaps are molded in a closed position; f. and said rear panel being molded in said opened position and providing a common wall for all of said compartments and simultaneously exposing the interior of all of said compartments when said rear panel is in said opened position. 